August: Osage County Features A Lot of Acting

August: Osage County is a dysfunctional family tragicomedy that just marked the tenth anniversary of its theatrical release in 2013. If there is a 2013 film that features the most acting on display, it’s this one. This is a film that contains a powerhouse of a cast. Both Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts would receive Oscar nominations for Best Actress and Supporting Actress, respectively. The screenplay, cast, and other crew would earn nominations at other…

"August: Osage County Features A Lot of Acting"

Anyone But You: Can Faking A Relationship Save the Weekend?

Anyone But You is the latest Will Gluck film to draw inspiration from a classic play or story and does so with hysteric success. Like any romantic comedy, Anyone But You is not immune to the classic tropes. It’s what the film manages to do with it in which the film lives or dies on its own. If it’s a Will Gluck film, you can expect the filmmaker to find a way to bring Natasha…

"Anyone But You: Can Faking A Relationship Save the Weekend?"

Secret Invasion Concludes Uneven Run With “Home”

Marvel Studios is showing signs of franchise fatigue as espionage thriller Secret Invasion concludes its uneven run on Disney+. The series didn’t do what its comic book counterpart did in changing up Marvel’s status quo. Instead, it killed off Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). We barely even had time to mourn Hill’s passing before Fury and Talos figured out a plan. Perhaps most surprisingly, Secret Invasion does not even feature a tag…

"Secret Invasion Concludes Uneven Run With “Home”"

Secret Invasion – Episode 5 – Harvest

Secret Invasion inches closer to the end of its Disney+ run with the penultimate episode of the Marvel Studios limited series. After starting out with two episodes running nearly an hour, the series has settled into a 38-44 minute run time. The episode packs in a good amount of show in just a short amount of time. Put it this way: right when you think there’s another scene, the credits begin. Everything is setting up…

"Secret Invasion – Episode 5 – Harvest"

Secret Invasion – Episode 4 – Beloved

The action starts to take hold in Secret Invasion as the six-episode limited series begins the back half of its run on Disney+. If you thought episode 3 was short, episode 4 has got the number beat by six minutes. Factoring in the recap and end credits, “Beloved” runs 38 minutes long. They pack a lot of show into just over a half hour. What this means is that some scenes end up getting the…

"Secret Invasion – Episode 4 – Beloved"

Secret Invasion Seeks to Change Marvel’s Status Quo

The first two episodes of Secret Invasion leave one wondering just how much this series will change up Marvel’s status quo. I want to get this out of the way first: two episodes are not enough to judge the limited series. Marvel sent out press screeners for the first two episodes but the series is six episodes in length. Basically, I’m only able to offer my thoughts on Secret Invasion‘s first two hours at this…

"Secret Invasion Seeks to Change Marvel’s Status Quo"

Secret Invasion: Marvel Studios Releases Trailer and Key Art

Marvel Studios released the trailer and key art for the upcoming Secret Invasion series following the trailer airing during Sunday Night Baseball. Fans watching the Philadelphia Phillies play the Texas Rangers were lucky enough to catch the trailer live on TV. If not, you’re in luck because I’ve got you covered below. Even after watching the first trailer for the series, Marvel is smart to not give away too much ahead of the series premiere…

"Secret Invasion: Marvel Studios Releases Trailer and Key Art"

About Schmidt Marks 20th Anniversary

The Oscar-nominated About Schmidt, starring Jack Nicholson, marks the 20th anniversary of its theatrical release in 2002. This is the first of two Jack Nicholson movies getting a milestone anniversary review in December. The other film is As Good As It Gets, celebrating 25 years on December 25. Anyway, it’s really hard to believe that About Schmidt is 20 years old this year. I can still remember watching the dramedy in theaters! As a film,…

"About Schmidt Marks 20th Anniversary"

Along for the Ride Adaptation Arrives on Netflix

Sarah Dessen’s novel, Along for the Ride, arrives on Netflix in a film adaptation starring Emma Pasarow and Belmont Cameli. Writer-director Sofia Alvarez is the screenwriter of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and the book was a New York Times bestseller. If you’re a fan of either, you’ll probably be watching regardless of my thoughts. But if you’ve never read Dessen’s books or watched the To All The Boys movies, chances are likely…

"Along for the Ride Adaptation Arrives on Netflix"

Sgt. Will Gardner: American Veterans Need Our Help

Sgt. Will Gardner tells the story of an Iraq War veteran and shows the effects that traumatic brain injuries have on America’s returning veterans. Writer-director Max Martini is known for portraying a number of military roles on screen.  Maybe it’s because of taking on those roles but it’s admirable for the actor to bring the troubles facing American veterans to the screen.  After all, thousands of American veterans can be found along many streets and…

"Sgt. Will Gardner: American Veterans Need Our Help"